Every home needs a guttering and downspout system to properly drain water. A home takes far too much abuse from water if it is not drained away. The sheer number of gutter and downspout options available on today’s market is amazing. Today we’re going to talk specifically about copper guttering and flashing. I’ll help you weigh the pros and cons of using copper guttering, downspouts, and flashing on your home.
Copper Guttering Pros
Customization: As I mentioned before, every home needs a guttering system. You can choose to go with the same home-improvement-store-purchased guttering everyone in the neighborhood uses, or have custom copper guttering created to be 100% unique.
Longevity: Copper doesn’t rust. It isn’t unusual at all to see the same copper accents on a home or other building for more than 25 years.
Timeless Beauty: The rich shine of copper lasts for years and gradually fades to a green patina. Some people love it while others do not. You’re here reading about copper gutters and flashing, so I’m assuming you love it as much as I do.
Quality Construction: Copper gutters, downspouts, and flashing are built in as few pieces as possible to avoid leaks. Joints are soldered together to make them as seamless as possible.
Copper Guttering Cons
Material Costs: Cost is the biggest con to using copper gutters, flashing, and accents. It simply isn’t cheap. This can also be considered a pro because not everyone is going to put forth the additional upfront costs to use copper.
Labor Costs: Customizing copper isn’t an easy process and to do it properly does require specialized tools and knowledge.
Discoloration Over Time: As I mentioned above, some people don’t like the way copper turns to green patina over time. I do believe this issue belongs in both pros and cons, because it really does depend entirely on personal taste.
The Bottom Line
Copper guttering and flashing adds a timeless, classic beauty to any structure. It often lasts for at least a few decades, and is higher quality construction than any guttering system or flashing you can buy in the store. Custom copper guttering and flashing is expensive, which is a deterrent for many people.
You should choose a customized copper guttering system if you love the look, want your home to be unique, want the highest quality guttering and downspouts possible, and have the budget to work with. Don’t settle for the cheapest coppersmith you can find. Work with a coppersmith with a reputation for excellence in the craft and the experience required to provide the best results possible.